That's the Way the Ball Bounces

Last night's San Francisco Giants' game vs. Miami's Marlins was a heartbreaker. Bad bounces, one missed fair/foul ball call and a whole lot of missed opportunities by the home nine.

Not that they weren't trying, of course, they were.  But on several occasions line drives found gloves because they were hit right at the fielders.

Not the heartbreak in the fashion of the
Rolling Stones' 70s hit...

(The police in New York City
chased a boy through the park
And in a case of mistaken identity
They put a bullet through his heart.

Heartbreakers with your forty-fours
I want to tear your world apart.)

Just the 2011 and those years before the 2010 Giants type of blues.

Listening to the game I was waiting for the play that broke the spell of bad breaks. I recall many moons ago, Joe Morgan (the Hall of Famer), saying how there is usually a point in every game where the team trailing has a chance to get back into the game. And if things go accordingly that same team may steal the momentum and victory from the jaws of defeat.

In the game, on May 1, 2012, it was the ground ball to Pablo Sandoval that he turned into a 5-3 double-play to end the top half of the 8th inning.  When the Giants came to bat, Gregor Blanco led off for Matt Cain and promptly doubled. (Unfortunately, while listening to the Giants Wrap, after the game, I learned that the ball bounced off the fence right to the fielder which was considered by all to be a bad break. I wondered why they were unable to score.)

Leadoff hitter Angel Pagan bunted Blanco to third and made it to first-base safely on an errant throw by the hurried-up motions of the catcher.  First and third and nobody out. Melky Cabrera grounded weakly to the left side of the infield which allowed Pagan to move to second safely but there was one out.  This left first base open and the Fish walked Pablo Sandoval to load the bases with one out.  Up stepped Buster Posey and after fouling one off he grounded into a double-play.

There would be no further scoring opportunities.  Miami-2 San Francisco-1. Matt Cain lost another game where he got little support.  Such is Cain's career with the Giants.


Kevin J. Marquez